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Sandie has been battling it since childhood: the hulking, snarling black dog of her nightmares. For years, her precious pet dog Rabbie has kept the monster at bay, but when he is no longer there to protect her, the black dog reappears to stalk Sandie in her sleep ... Illuminating the undeniable power of Mal Peet's pared-back prose, Good Boy is an evocative examination of fear and anxiety that will leave you guessing long after its final page. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 14+
One of our 2018 Books of the Year | Interest Age YA Reading Age 8 | Alex Wheatle serves up an invigorating slice of teen life starring three kids growing up on his fictional Crongton estate. Briggy and Terror have been best friends for years but Terror’s romance with the gorgeous, super-cool Caldonia threatens to push them apart. So when Terror comes up with a ‘cadazy’ plan to rob the Crongton post office, for the sake of their friendship Briggy has no choice but to go along with it. As the boys plan their heist, normal life goes on, with tension at home making Briggy’s get-rich-quick dreams even more powerful. Sharp, funny, moving and written in rat-a-tat sentences that turn teen speak into a kind of poetry. Brilliant.
June 2018 Book of the Month | | Mal Peet, who died in 2015, wrote with extraordinary sensitivity and insight and this novella, freshly published by Barrington Stoke, is testimony to his talent. Benjamin finds himself by accident outside his old home and revisits memories of the garden and treehouse that 20 years ago were such a key part of his childhood. His father built the treehouse for him but it quickly changed from being a place of shared stories to something less happy – a hideaway from his mother, a hiding place for his father as he turned away from the outside world. The story is a painful one, years on Ben is still torn by conflicting loyalties, still angry with his father, still guilty for abandoning him. His return brings some new perspectives, but no happy resolution. Emma Shoard’s new illustrations equal the text for rawness, depth and resonance. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 14+
A sharp, well-observed teenage drama that is bang up to date. Life for teenagers these days can seem like an endless popularity contest, everything played out in the spotlight of social media. Just-dumped Rob hits a nerve when he tells Jade that everyone fancies her best friend more anyway; comparing herself to Becky, Jade is horribly conscious of coming second in everything. It’s a toxic atmosphere, intensified when the two girls find themselves leading rival parties in the school election, and it leads Jade to do something almost unforgivably cruel. Pratt leads the field in authors writing for a young adult audience: setting, voice and storyline are completely authentic, and this will score zillions of ‘likes’ from its readers. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
December 2017 Book of the Month | Full of love, humour and heartbreak, this beautifully crafted YA novella from the multi award-winning author of Ketchup Clouds and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a compassionate and distinctive tale of modern family life and its issues. Archie is devastated at the news his parents are splitting up. He and his dad are very close and when he realises that his father is leaving for another man – something his two sisters have already worked out – the shock has a physical impact. Archie has already been the victim of bullying and, perhaps to avoid a repeat, has become friends with the bullies at his new school; he is terrified of their reaction to the news. Things are complicated further when Tia, the girl he fancies, confides in him about her brother’s suicide and as the pressure mounts, Archie himself contemplates taking his own life. Annabel Pitcher portrays Archie with real insight and readers will understand completely the agony he feels. She chooses to end the story in a supermarket where the aisles, through their very prosaic normality, open up a world of hope and new beginnings. Published by dyslexia specialists Barrington Stoke, this will be accessible to all readers and is worth recommending to all readers. NOTE: some of the content and language may be seen by some as inappropriate for younger teens - why not read the extract first to find out. A Piece of Passion from Emma Hargrave, Editor : “We are thrilled to publish Annabel Pitcher for the first time, and what a stand-out novel she has written for us. Inspired by a passion to articulate the complex realities of life for teenagers – especially boys – around sexuality, loss, depression and family dynamics, Annabel has created an extraordinary narrator in Archie, a fabulous plotline and a cracking cast of characters as the story is propelled towards a remarkable final encounter. We love the know-it-all older sister; the fresh-out-the-closet dad; Archie’s crush, the seriously hot Tia; and her wise-cracking sidekick … Annabel’s pitch-perfect ear for the details of teenage life at school, home and on the wrong side of the tracks brings this story to vivid, unforgettable life.”And Annabel Pitcher adds: “I was thrilled to be approached to write for Barrington Stoke, having been such a fan of the exciting and important work that they do. As an ex-English teacher, I have seen first-hand how much these books mean to readers who long to access stories but are daunted by words. The idea for The Last Days of Archie Maxwell emerged on a dog walk by a train track near my house in West Yorkshire and I’ve spent many hours wandering alongside it, imagining Archie doing the same as he contemplates taking his own life. As a mum of two sons, it was interesting trying to get inside the head of a teenage boy. I’ve loved getting to know Archie and can’t wait to share him with the rest of the world.” Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 13+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | Teenage love is the subject of Juno Dawson’s thoroughly creepy new book for Barrington Stoke: ‘I think we love more freely… more playfully, with reckless abandon’, says Eliza to her boyfriend Sam shortly before she is killed in a car crash, which almost explains his actions after her death. Sam’s grief is all-encompassing, and he is prepared to do absolutely anything to see her again… It’s a genuinely chilling story, but Dawson keeps a playfulness there too, and finally leads Sam back to hopes of a happy future. Beautiful full page illustrations by Alex T Smith send more shivers down the spine; one to read with all the lights on. Readers gripped by this dark story would enjoy short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, M R James and E F Benson. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic teen readers.
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month | February 2017 Book of the Month | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 Mikey thinks the world of his Dad even though he doesn’t see him that often. And when he dies suddenly, Mikey is left with nothing to remember him by except a few fleeting memories of his amazing ability to imitate any voice. With nothing to hang on to, Mikey starts to fall apart. His best mate knows that he must do something to save him and that means finding someone or something that can bring the two together. The search is bleak and dangerous – Mikey’s dad had few friends and many enemies - but the end is triumphant! Phil Earle has created a moving and meaningful story which captures the irreplaceable importance of friendship. ~ Julia Eccleshare A Piece of Passion from Barrington Stoke MD Mairi Kidd: “When Phil first told me the plot of Mind The Gap I had goosebumps. There’s a real power and urgency to Phil’s writing for young adults, and I love that he has taken a touching true story of love and remembrance and fused it with something very raw – an account of terrible grief experienced by a young man who doesn’t really know how to express or process it, and a friend who desperately wants to help. It’s a hugely emotional story, told sparsely and brilliantly.” Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic teen readers. Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range. Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for February 2017 Young Magicians and the Thieves' Almanac by Nick Mohammed A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins Mind the Gap by Phil Earle The Bolds on Holiday by Julian Clary The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling by Timothy Basil Ering The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis
One of our Super Readable Books of the Year 2016 | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 Four teenagers meet to carry out the dying wishes of another close friend in this moving short novel, discovering truths about themselves and each other in the process. Dean, Zara, Ben and narrator Alix are very different people but the notes and photos contained in the time capsule they hid as 13 year olds and are digging up as 18 year olds depict the kind of friendship formed from difference, the kind, as Alix gratefully realises, that allows you to be exactly who you are. A YA (young adult) novel in the truest sense, this isn’t about nostalgia or looking back but the opposite; yet it still considers how no-one is ever as close or important as those friends made between child and adult-hood. Frank, often funny, it’s completely in tune with its readership. ~ Andrea Reece Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
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